Ecological disruptions and psychological distress: Global evidence on the mental health consequences of climate change
1 Department of Public Health, Fountain University, Osun Osogbo, Nigeria.
2 Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
3 Department of Biology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Nigeria.
4 Department of Community Mental Health, College of Health and Well-Being, Kintampo, Ghana.
5 Department of Communication Arts, Georgia Southern University, USA.
6 Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, Mapúa University, Manila, Philippines.
7 School of Health Information Management, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Review
International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 2025, 10(01), 008-022.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijbpsa.2025.10.1.0053
Publication history:
Received on 23 May 2025; revised on 29 June 2025; accepted on 01 July 2025
Abstract:
Climate change has emerged not only as an ecological and geopolitical crisis but also as a profound and growing threat to global mental health. A mounting body of interdisciplinary evidence indicates that both acute climate events such as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves and chronic stressors like rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and ecosystem degradation are associated with increased rates of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality. Additionally, novel psychological phenomena such as eco-anxiety, solastalgia, and ecological grief have been identified in populations facing existential environmental threats. This review synthesizes global research to elucidate the mental health consequences of climate change, with special focus on disproportionately affected populations, including Indigenous communities, children, the elderly, and climate migrants. The review explores neurobiological stress mechanisms, cultural and psychosocial disruptions, and structural inequalities that mediate vulnerability. Furthermore, it highlights key methodological limitations in current research, including the need for culturally sensitive tools, longitudinal studies, and robust climate-mental health metrics. It concludes by emphasizing the necessity of integrating mental health into national and global climate policy frameworks, proposing that mental health resilience and psychosocial adaptation must be central pillars of climate preparedness in the Anthropocene. Addressing the psychiatric and emotional burdens of a warming world is critical to sustaining public health, equity, and social cohesion in the decades ahead.
Keywords:
Climate Change; Mental Health; Eco-Anxiety; Solastalgia; PTSD; Vulnerable Populations; Adaptation Strategies
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Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0